Durbin Briefed On U.S. Response To Coronavirus Outbreak
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after the Trump Administration briefed U.S. Senators about the ongoing response to the outbreak of coronavirus. There have been two confirmed cases of coronavirus in Illinois and eleven confirmed cases in the United States:
“This morning, our nation’s public health agencies briefed Senators about the ongoing response to the coronavirus outbreak in China. I am thankful to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local medical professionals in Illinois for keeping us updated as we continue to learn more about the impact of the virus. The CDC is watching for cases in the United States and responding quickly, and we will remain in close contact with them as they work with our local and state health agencies to address this situation,” Durbin said.
The coronavirus outbreak has killed 492 people worldwide, the majority of which are in China, and infected more than 24,500 people across 25 countries.
Last week, Durbin and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) received an update on the coronavirus outbreak from CDC Principal Deputy Director Dr. Anne Schuchat. On a call with Dr. Schuchat, the Senators asked about the agency’s response to the coronavirus outbreak and asked for information on the steps being taken to keep Illinois families safe, including steps being taken by CDC to get lab results to Illinois quickly in order to inform the state’s decision-making efforts.
Last month, Durbin and Duckworth joined Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), and 28 of their Democratic Senate colleagues, in sending a letter to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar requesting updates on the Administration’s response to the coronavirus outbreak.
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